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Harm Reduction Injection Complications FAQ and Mega Thread

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nearjat said:
My veins are damn near invisible normally, I have to use a tourniquet, pump my arm a few times, and maybe rub it firmly- then they are clearly visible.
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I'll try that, I always use a tourniquet, I'll have to try the other tricks,

My other problem is I have a really hard time judging how deep the vein is and what angle I should insert the needle at. Any tips there?
 
Oxymorphone said:
I'll try that, I always use a tourniquet, I'll have to try the other tricks,

My other problem is I have a really hard time judging how deep the vein is and what angle I should insert the needle at. Any tips there?
Click to expand...

Well with that method my usually really deep veins are raised up for easy access :D Also, while a nurse was trying to find a vein in my arm in the hospital, she used a washcloth soaked in hot water to rub my arm. It very effectively raised my veins.

And the needle should be inserted at a 45 degree angle parallel to the vein, toward the heart. Someone correct me if I'm misinforming anyone, I'm not an expert on this but I'm pretty sure this is proper procedure.
 
I have shit veins too.. Here's what works for me: First, get a good tourniquet. I recommend a blood pressure cuff inflated to around 60 mmHg. Works great if you pump it with the arm you're shooting in. Then as you shoot you can hit the release valve with that hand.

Once you inflate the cuff and sanitize with alcohol, take your time and palpate the crook of your elbow with your fingertips. If your veins are as hard to find as mine, you'll be going totally off feel - I never see the vein, but now that I know what to feel for, I rarely miss. It should feel like a skinny little water balloon under the skin.

The best phlebotomists (nurses who draw blood) go off touch alone. It just takes patience and practice. When you hit the vein, notice how it feels. That little bee sting you feel when you pierce the vein is a unique feeling,.. I can pretty much tell when I'm in just from the nature of the pain from the stick.

Of course I always (and you should always) register. When you insert the needle where you felt the skinny water balloon, draw back a little on the plunger as soon as you're under the skin to get a vacuum. Then advance very slowly till you see a plume and you're in.
 
Hmm ok I'm staying away from the tops of my arms, I got in on the other arm (same big vein that I missed on the other side), the removed the tournequette and I got out of the vein somehow. Luckilly I didn't waste the shot, but I still have that same squshy little bulge under my skin in that area I got on my other arm a couple days ago. What is that from/called? Did I go through the other side of the vein and cause internal bleeding or something? I don't see any blood or bruising.... The other one has gone away now luckily.


Warm water, jumping jacks, moving my arms around all didn't help raise a vein....
 
^good thread indeed.

i'll merge this into the IV thread to add to the info in there, it's a good source of information and inpute from the regular IVers around here. you should find what you need in there otherwise go ahead and ask:)
 
shooting up blood blister/mark

hey there. There is a small blood bruise/mark about the size of a tic tac on the crook on my arm. I've been banging h recently and I've been missing a lot since just recently I've been trying to bang myself verses having to wait for my friends to stop by so they can do it for me. The red mark looks like its inside the skin and not external. This isn't an abscess is it? I assume it's just some internal bleeding that happened when I punctured my vein? It doesn't hurt r anything but the mark is considerbly bigger than the little track marks i have beside it
 
Draw a circle around it with a fine point pen/sharpie. If it gets bigger you need medical attention.

Rotate you injection sites. There are tons of spots to hit on just one arm.
 
Put a heating pad on it for about 15 minutes. It should help with reducing the swelling and brusing.
 
so I assume it's fine? I was thinking about hitting my other arm today.. even though there's a ton of marks on there. I'm asian so it's pretty god damn impossible to find my veins.. which makes it hard to bang stuff if someone doesn't do it for me. The last few days each time I've tried to do it I at least miss 4-5 times before finally registering a vein.
 
i'd apply an ice pack 15 min on, 15 min off if its swelling. i've done this a couple times, and usually its no big deal...
but do you have any loss of feeling in your arm? then you may want to see a doctor, cuz afaik that doesnt just go away like many symptoms, and would indicate you somehow damaged a nerve.
 
my armfeels fine.. a little weak maybe but maybe that's just in my head. It just looks like a dark red spot on the crook of my arm.. it doesn't appear to a bump but rather inside the vain. It looks like blood trapped inside my arm or something and looks like a pimple with some dark blood encompassing around it Doesn't hurt or feel hot or anything..
 
read up on how to inject properly so you don't miss all the time. there are some good threads that illustrate the veins in your arm just utse. good luck
 
TruthSpeaker1 said:
my armfeels fine.. a little weak maybe but maybe that's just in my head. It just looks like a dark red spot on the crook of my arm.. it doesn't appear to a bump but rather inside the vain. It looks like blood trapped inside my arm or something and looks like a pimple with some dark blood encompassing around it Doesn't hurt or feel hot or anything..
Click to expand...

yeah, i dont think weakness is truly a sign of nerve damage...it can be but i think in this case its probably psychosomatic. i was talking more numbness. so its not swollen or raised at all?
 
if its swollen, red, and tender i would pay attention. if it gets any worst then its probably an infection. avoiding an abscess is cool.
 
I would definitely say wait for your friends to stop by your place - sniff a little line so you aren't in WD's. You want to be able to hold still when you're trying to inject anyways, and shaking and trying to inject can lead to a lot of misses.

With time, you'll eventually get the hang of it - but you should have the help of others who know what they are doing if they are indeed experienced.

-> Merged into IV Complications Mega Thread.
 
Speedball wrist shot -- need to know if I hit an artery **URGENT**

So I shot a coke/h combination inmy wrist right along the thumb line (like on the side nearest me if that makes sense). It didn't hurt going in, but I know that w/ coke it can mask any sensation.

The blood looked quite light, and it seemed pretty forceful. Right now it's not swollen and it doesn't hurt but I'm scared as shit.

So please help me know if it could be an artery, even though it didnt/doesn't hurt. It's just got a little redness around the area, but minimal.
thanks
 
and also a bit of blood/solution was above the plunger, which also makes me worried b/c i've never seen that before.
 
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